2003 Pontiac Grand Prix Engine Problems
- Complaints
- 31about this part
- Share
- 29%of 106 total for the year
- Median mileage
- 156,000miles
- Trend
- StableComplaints filed in the last 3 full calendar years are within 25% of the 3 years before.
NHTSA recorded 31 complaints about the engine of the 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix, 29% of the 106 complaints for this model year. Where a mileage was given, the median is 156,000 miles. 24 a fire, according to the filers.
Example complaints
Selected from NHTSA records; personal details are removed. They are consumer reports, not findings.
“Car was idling in a drive through and smoke began pouring out of engine compartment. Shut off car and popped hood and the engine was on fire (visible flames) underneath where oil would be added to car. Fire department was called to extinguish fire. Previous owner repaired 2009 recalled part but I was unaware of 2015 recall.”
NHTSA complaint #11084948, filed 2018-04, 226,000 miles“Ran out to do a short errand at lunch time. Came back to work and was in the building approximately five minutes when someone came running in and said my car was on fire. Co-workers tried unsuccessfully to extinguish the fire and the fire department was called. Car was a complete loss. Car had been running perfect up until the incident.”
NHTSA complaint #10503653, filed 2013-03, 119,000 miles“Car had been running great. Parked it at a friends house and someone noticed it on fire about 10 minutes later. Called the fire department and they put it out. Did some research and found that it had some recalls and this was a somewhat common problem.”
NHTSA complaint #10485981, filed 2012-11, 156,000 miles“Thermostat bouncing up and down took to dealer had thermostat, lower intake gaskets and upper intake manifold and water pump replaced. Temp needle goes over half when idling on hot days but as driven goes down. It goes up and down. Spent 1500 to fix.”
NHTSA complaint #10477233, filed 2012-09, 12,000 miles“The car had a recall. The engine oil dripped into the manifold and caught fire. The car is totaled now. I was inside of a walmart and the car was parked outside.”
NHTSA complaint #11052544, filed 2017-12, 236,000 milesRelated service bulletins
- 10242298Aug 10, 2023This Preliminary information communicates information that will need to be provided to TAC to aid in diagnosing if a vehicle comes in with misfire and DTC Codes P0300 - P0308…
- 10211658May 2, 2022This service bulletin provides policy information on warranty administration guidelines for multiple repairs with independent causes (GM Canada Dealers Only).
- 10178387Jul 27, 2020This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about finding needle bearings during an oil change. Technician will gain access to the roller…
- 10176326May 21, 2020This Preliminary information communicates information that will need to be provided to TAC to aid in diagnosing if a vehicle comes in with misfire and DTC Codes P0300 - P0308…
- 10176607May 8, 2020This technical bulletin advises of a new fuel injection cleaner kit used for decarbonizing the intake valves to correct conditions of rough idle, Crank no start, extended crank…
- 10167437Oct 14, 2019This Preliminary information communicates to the technician the need to inspect the induction system for potential icing issues in very cold ambient temperatures. To allow the…
- 10160987May 7, 2019This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician to not remove the torque converter bolts and start the engine as this may cause damage to the…
- 10160983May 6, 2019This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about finding needle bearings during an oil change. Technician will gain access to the roller…
- 10144451Aug 8, 2018This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about engine block of possible cylinder bore damage, scoring or out of round as the possible…
- 10129097Jan 25, 2018This Preliminary Information communication provides information to the technician about finding needle bearings during an oil change. Technician will gain access to the roller…
Engine: other model years
| Year | Complaints | Share of year |
|---|---|---|
| 2008 | 19 | 13% |
| 2007 | 28 | 13% |
| 2006 | 32 | 13% |
| 2005 | 14 | 9% |
| 2004 | 98 | 22% |
| 2003 | 31 | 29% |
| 2002 | 86 | 26% |
| 2001 | 65 | 21% |
| 2000 | 73 | 16% |
| 1999 | 50 | 12% |
| 1998 | 33 | 7% |
| 1997 | 45 | 6% |
| 1989 | 1 | 1% |
Other parts of the 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix
20 complaintsEngine cooling
16 complaintsBrakes
9 complaintsBody and structure
9 complaintsExterior lighting
8 complaintsFuel system
5 complaintsSeats
5 complaintsTires
4 complaintsTransmission and drivetrain
4 complaintsVisibility (wipers, defrost, mirrors)
4 complaintsEquipment
3 complaintsSuspension
3 complaints
← All problems reported for the 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix
About this data. Data from NHTSA (ODI) complaints, recalls, TSBs and investigations, updated Oct 30, 2026. Complaints are unverified consumer reports and may be duplicated or inaccurate.
To check a specific vehicle for open recalls, use its VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls. Methodology